Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

> When people ask me
> about starting "older horses" I just sort of assume
> they are talking about horses at least in their teens... :-)  And
> our
> experience with starting older broodmares has been that in general,
> they
> are ready to burn their bras and GET A LIFE, and are utterly THRILLED
> to
> have something to do, once they get past the "independent
> broodmare"
> mindset and realize just what you are offering them!  (And as a part
> of
> getting past that "independent broodmare" mindset, we've found
> it best to
> go right out on the trails and get to work, once they've accepted
> saddle,
> bridle, and rider, rather than doing a bunch of drilling of mundane
> details--they catch on quick, and they get bored going around in
> circles.)

All horses get bored with mundane details and going around in
circles
when there is no purpose in doing the drilling and circles. 
Drilling
and circles (read - getting the horse to do everything from the
ground
you will want the horse to do from the saddle) in a well thought 
out
sequence with definite goals is never boring and absolutely crucial
to
rapid minimal hassle training.

Marv "When the horse demonstrates it's got it, accept it!"
Walker